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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: straw · snap · kid · stem · bay · rush · track · foot

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. track — a path
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. snap — to click
  6. kid — to tease
  7. track — a song
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. foot — a measure
  13. rush — hurry
  14. stem — to come from
  15. track — to keep track
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. kid — child
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. straw — a straw man

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com